12th Shogi Wars Kishin Tournament in Europe

The 12th Shogi Wars Kishin Tournament will be played online for the three qualification rounds, and in Paderborn, Germany, for the final round this year. All participants will be rewarded a digital “Shogi Wars item”. Attractive prizes await the winners of the finals.

General Description

Online shogi tournament played on Shogi Wars App.

Qualification Tournaments:

• February 22nd, 2026, 12:00 – 14:00 UCT
• April 26th, 2026, 12:00 – 14:00 UCT
• June 21st, 2026, 12:00 – 14:00 UCT

Final Tournament:

• August 07th, 2026 in Paderborn

Qualification Tournaments

• Eligible players: all residents of European countries.
• Registration to start on:
  • February 03rd, 2026, at 12:00 UCT for the February 22nd tournament
  • April 07th, at 12:00 UCT for the April 26th tournament
  • June 02nd, at 12:00 UCT for the June 21st tournament
• Game rules:
  • 10 minutes/player
  • No byoyomi
  • No limit in the number of games
  • No need for a premium subscription
  • No use of digital assistant “Kishin”
• Qualification Criteria:
  • 8 players will qualify for the finals under the following conditions:
  • The winner of each qualification tournament. In case one player wins two or all three qualification tournaments, the runner-up of the second or third tournament will qualify.
  • 5 players with the most winning points in their “Best Two” qualification tournaments*. Among those 5 only one may have Japanese citizenship.
  • Participating in the finals requires in-person travel to Paderborn.
• All participants are rewarded a digital “Shogi Wars item”.

Final Tournament

• Three rounds knock-out tournament among 8 players, using Shogi Wars on the participants' own smartphones, but playing face-to-face in Paderborn.
• 10 minutes/player, no byoyomi, no use of “Kishin” assistant.
• Prize money for the top three players:
  • 1st: 400€
  • 2nd: 250€
  • 3rd: 150€
• Prizes for the runner-ups, among others, include a teaching game with a professional player.
• Selected games of the final tournament will be commented live on YouTube.

“Best Two” Rule

For each player, only the two qualification tournaments with the highest number of won games are counted. A player may therefore also miss one of the qualification tournaments.

In case players have the same number of wins, qualification for the finals is decided as follows:

• The player with the least number of losses.
• If still equal, the player with the most wins in qualification tournament no. 3 (June 21st).
• If still equal, the player with the least number of losses in qualification tournament no. 3.
• If still equal, by lot.